Miliband promises 'brighter future' to young generation

The Labour leader Ed Miliband during a question and answer session with local people at East Manchester Academy ahead of his party's conference REUTERS/Andrew Winning

Ed Miliband pledged tonight to deliver a brighter future for young people as he kicked off Labour's conference.

Lambasting the coalition Government for having "something against" the next generation, Mr Miliband said they were suffering high unemployment, huge housing costs, and tuition fee hikes.

He hinted that his party could go further than its existing commitment to cut the maximum annual university fee from £9,000 to £6,000.

He also called for more focus on vocational training, and reiterated his desire to see the voting age brought down to 16.

The comments came in a question-and-answer session at the East Manchester Academy before the official opening of Labour's gathering in the city.

Although the party has been riding high in the opinion polls, the leader is under pressure to improve stubbornly poor personal ratings.

The Tories highlighted the problem this morning by releasing Populus research which found that nearly two-thirds of Labour supporters would prefer Mr Miliband's brother David in charge.

Some 73% of those questioned agreed that Mr Miliband did not have what it takes to be prime minister in tough economic times, and 72% that he was too weak for the job.

Mr Miliband struck a cautious tone during the town-hall style event,
repeatedly insisting that Labour would not be able to reverse all the
coalition's spending cuts and unpopular measures.

"Whoever wins the next election will be faced with a huge deficit," Mr Miliband said.

"If it is a Labour government, we will have to make difficult decisions. We will not be able to reverse all the cuts.

"We will take decisions about priorities, like putting jobs ahead of pay rises.

"But don't believe those who say that all politicians are the same, because our decisions will be different.

"We would always put the interests of millions of working people ahead of tax cuts for millionaires."

Mr Miliband said the coalition was currently borrowing money to
"keep people idle", rather than investing in generating economic growth.

"I'm not going to wave a magic wand," he said. "But I do believe we could make a difference."

He described young people's futures as his "number one priority".

The party is due to announce it is forming a Youth Employment
Taskforce, designed to help more young people find work and monitor the
impact of coalition policies.

"I do wonder what this Government has got against young people," Mr Miliband said.

"First of all we have got to get young people working again.

"Secondly... we have got to find a way to help all young people have a future, all young people have a career.

"All young people who go to university and those who don't.

"Graduate unemployment is a terrible problem, but also what is the career path of someone who doesn't go to university?"

Mr Miliband dismissed Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's
tuition fees apology, pointing out that he had only said sorry for
pledging not to raise fees.

And he signalled that Labour was hardening its position against
the charges, with the possibility of a straightforward graduate tax on
the table.

"We have said that if we were in government tomorrow we would cut
the tuition fee to £6,000, the maximum tuition fee," Mr Miliband said.

"In my view that is not enough. I think it is a start. It is what
we can afford, we have shown a way of doing it and it would reduce the
debts that people are going to face."

Mr Miliband confirmed plans to replace Ofgem with an energy regulator which has tougher powers to ensure prices are fair.

He also proposed capping pension fund management fees, amid
complaints that people saving for their retirement are being ripped off.

"You know what it's like when the envelope hits the doormat with the gas bill or the electricity bill," he said.

"The companies know you can't choose not to pay it. They are making us pay more than we should."

Accusing the coalition of failing to protect pensioners, Mr
Miliband said: "Millions of working people are doing the right thing and
putting money aside.

"The least they expect is for it to be there for them when they retire.

"But too often people are finding there is much less in the pot than they expected.

"What's been happening is, while you were saving, the company
which was supposed to be helping you, the company you trusted, has
actually been taking thousands of pounds out in hidden fees and
charges."

During the conference, shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint is
also due formally to launch Labour plans to organise mass bargaining for
energy bills.

The SwitchTogether scheme has been hailed as proof that Labour can be a "positive force for change" even out of government.

The party is also creating a new "policy hub" to widen
involvement. Activists and the general public will be able to post
responses to party policy documents.

Meanwhile, deputy leader Harriet Harman has brought in former
Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly and former Strictly Come Dancing
judge Arlene Phillips to look at the issue of discrimination against
older women.

The TV celebrities - both famously dropped by the BBC - will help
draw up proposals for preventing ageism and sexism and consider whether
legislation is necessary.

Interviewed by The Independent, Ms Harman said: "Of course there
is age discrimination against men. But the combination of age and gender
discrimination against women is of a different order of magnitude."

She launched a scathing attack on new BBC Director-General George
Entwistle for his "woeful" response to criticism that the corporation
freezes out older women while keeping older men on its screens.

"Basically, he said 'We have got to reach out and find these
(older) women'. In fact, they are right there under his nose but they
are being got rid of," she insisted. "He was saying 'We can't start
chucking out the older men'.

"Miriam (O'Reilly) was told to devise her own programme and then
she could be on it. He needs to wake up right away and realise that
women will not tolerate that any more.

"We need action, not pitiful excuses. He is still stuck in the
old mould that the older man, the experienced, wise sage, has to be
matched (on screen) by the younger woman."